I have to say I much prefer the existence of computers in some form, rather than an almost total absence of, because its much more believable. communication of the nature required to coordinate a corporation that spans multiple planets and the capability to travel between said planets practically requires the existence of computers in some form. and money would basically be an impossible thing if there weren't any means to print it. there wouldn't be a way to keep records of knowledge to distribute either if even hand written copies are unreliable. I cant see humanity surviving such a regression of technology, as is many people today would not survive if suddenly all the information technology in the world ceased to function this problem would likely only be enhanced in the future with people most likely being even more dependent on technology then they are now.

so all in all I would rather go with the version of the universe in the novels because it seems the most plausible functioning universe.

There's a box in the first edition rpg rulebook about the economic system I'll check it out later and report back. As for cordination there's a reason that most corporations have broken down to something close to a feudal system. Only ccapitol is really a corporation these days the others may have started out as such but have diverged far from that. I'd say the complexity of the economic situation is impossible for oen man to grasp without computers and that's why the system is the way it is.As for printing money, well misprints on money isnt that bad and the brotherhood are probably really paranoid when it comes to codex cardinalis. i'd say most written works are safe though it does comment that most of the hand of the dark symmetry have had an effect on the libraries of the old knowledge and it's hand can be seen ever obscuring humanities past. or something like that.

Oh and why couldn't you run a large company with pen and paper (or propably typewriter)? The american trusts were larger than any companies are today and there was no computers back then. Sure sending letters or documents between planets are hard but not harder than sending them between continents on earth.

The only really outstanding issue is space flight which would be hard to impossible without computers (especially controlled reentry would be a nightmare) but hey if you chose to see it as a diselpunk (and we know that some who works with the IP does) then that's the punk part of it. I dont complain when there are clockwork robots in steampunk and that's way weirder when you think about it.

As for the other things, there was a massive regression, that's kind of the point, the legion was gone for a thousand years and even before they returned man was still reeling from the regression of technology we're talking the fall of the classic civilisations and the descent in the dark ages times a hundred at least. I seem to remember reading a text about ruined cities in the jungles of Venus that no one remembers the name of, and that would require a pretty harsh decline of civilisation. Also if there hadn't been decline there would be little frontiers left in the solar systems to settle but obviously there are. Of course the regression is only partially to blame for this, the first corporate war is also a factor not to be forgotten.

But a thousand years is a very long time. And remember even if it was only AIs that where effected they still smashed every machine that had any affiliation to the thinking machines and the power plants that powered them. Just because it was only a certain technology that was affected doesn't mean the response of the people was appropriate.And even if the symmetry did affect all computers that's no guarantee for them not being used at present, cybertronic use AIs and we can be pretty certain those were amongst the affected technologies regardless of the extent of the corruption.

misprints on money are a huge deal if they cease to have the relevant information on them and if the numbers can change after they are printed like you suggest with your comment on libraries of old knowledge being changed.

if printing presses don't work why would a typewriter? while true the American trusts weren't multi planetary mega corporations that are larger than any government to date and id say that space flight between planets is much more difficult than sailing over an ocean if only for the fact that you now have a 3 dimensional space in which to misplace yourself.

but all of this is pointless to really go over again and again we will have to agree to disagree I prefer the version of the mutant chronicles portrayed by the novels while you seem to favor the rpg neither one of us is wrong for liking what we do since it dosent really affect gameplay at all its just our preference for the imagined settings of the make believe universe we are playing in.

Printing presses at the time of the unleash of the "dark times" were AI they like many media comunications were linked. A story on one world could be sent to many at once, this resulted in a multi universe of lies, as false tales and twisted tales abound. The only cure came in the destruction of the Lunar main brain by the "3 Brothers and their newly forming Brothehood. At once man was free as All linked machines ,Medical.War,Peace, etc were gone, we all sadly Know what came next. The main Brotherhood Lunar Cathedral was built on the ruins of the thinking machines building.

Some sort of computers definitely existed in 1st edition of Warzone. One of the short stories explains that (I think Imperial) commanders had HUD (head up displays) showing them position of all soldiers in the squad and their health status. That would definitely require computers and some positioning system.

One thing makes me really wonder about the engine powered suits. What is the problem with storing energy in batteries? Does it mean that technological regression went that far that even batteries were forgotten/banned? Hard to imagine that really, although it gives definitely high cool factor to the game.

a large part of it is probably pure aesthetics. As I said earleir I really don't mind computers existing in the current era of the game, cybertronic has been around for quite a while computers will have made a return even if they were banned.On the other had if they weren't there is no real reason for technological regression at all, no AI is a mere bump in the road, no computers for the better part of a thousand years would be a roadblock. A thousand years of progression even if they regressed to jut the technology we have today following the ban on certain technologies would still have had humanity consume most resources in the inner solar system and basically unhindreded continue out current exponential technology growth. AI or no AI they'd hit the technological singularity before that.

One thing makes me really wonder about the engine powered suits. What is the problem with storing energy in batteries? Does it mean that technological regression went that far that even batteries were forgotten/banned? Hard to imagine that really, although it gives definitely high cool factor to the game.

Batteries have only a limited lifespan. This is also the current issue with exoskeletons or powered suits- they just don't last long enough. There is also a limit on power draw from a battery, whereas an engine can respond to power demand.

One thing makes me really wonder about the engine powered suits. What is the problem with storing energy in batteries? Does it mean that technological regression went that far that even batteries were forgotten/banned? Hard to imagine that really, although it gives definitely high cool factor to the game.

Batteries have only a limited lifespan. This is also the current issue with exoskeletons or powered suits- they just don't last long enough. There is also a limit on power draw from a battery, whereas an engine can respond to power demand.

Still, if the technology evolved to a level that AI was highly developed, I imagine battery technology also advanced to a level that allows storing high amount of energy. So the electronic (or computer/AI) tech regression would not necessarily mean energy storage regression, thus I would say there would be no need for engine powered suits.

It actually could, if the process of manufacturing was either to complicated to be done by humans, or the only plans of such batteries was lost in with whatever machines malfunctioned. Also there are batteries that could require air to work.

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